TEHRAN, Apr. 25 (MNA) – Iran’s Defense Minister Amir Hatami has warned against the threat of terrorism and extremism as two dangerous phenomena against the security and stability of countries in the west and south of Asia.

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami held a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart General Bakhodir Kurbanov on the sidelines of the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) on Wednesday.

In the meeting, the Iranian defense minister pointed to the deep historical and cultural ties between the two countries of Iran and Uzbekistan, calling for development of bilateral cooperation in political, economic, and especially in the defense and security areas.

Hatami described terrorism and extremism as two dangerous phenomena resulting from the interventionist polices of US and its regional allies, stating that terrorism and extremism threaten the stability and security of South and West Asia.

He further emphasized the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to work with the benevolent countries of the region such as Uzbekistan.

General Bakhodir Kurbanov, for his part, expressed his happiness with meeting with his Iranian counterpart, stating that the political will of the leaders of the two countries can pave the way for expansion of bilateral cooperation in all political, economic and cultural fields.

Referring to the common security concerns of the two countries in the region, the Uzbek defense minister expressed hope that Tehran-Tashkent cooperation on countering terrorism will further develop.